Branch On The Vine

By: Alli Matthews

Are you new to your faith in Jesus? Are you not sure what you believe and just seeking some answers? Are you someone who has been walking with God for years? It doesn’t matter where you are on your journey with faith. You can always get to know God better!

Maybe you struggle with doubt like I do. Maybe it feels difficult to get to know someone you can’t see. Maybe you question whether God is really there. Maybe you question whether he really cares about you.

Let me encourage you that everyone probably struggles with doubt at some point in their faith journey, whether they admit it or not. Let me also encourage you that God is real, alive, and active in your life. He loves you so much and wants you to know him. Even if you’re not seeking him, he is seeking you. 

Let’s start with how God made this possible. First, He created humans in his image, meaning that we actually reflect God as humans. He loved us like the Father that he is from the beginning, and he gave us the choice of whether to love him in return. But every human chose sin at some point in his or her life. Sin is both active and passive rebellion against God. That means we fall short of God’s standard when we are aware our actions are wrong and when we are unaware that they are wrong. This sin separated us from a holy God who would not dwell among evil. 

But he still loved us. You have probably heard or read John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” So this is where Jesus came in. He died an innocent death in our place so that we could be forgiven and freed from our sins. If we choose to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives, we can receive new life in him! 

That is the Gospel: the good news of how God came down to earth to save us from sin and death. You can learn more about this in the Bible. 

This takes me to the first avenue of getting to know God…

1. Reading the Bible

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

Reading the Bible is incredibly helpful in teaching us about who God is. A lot of people wonder where to start. Maybe, in the past, you began in Genesis and left feeling confused. A mentor once told me that it is helpful to think of the Bible as more like a library than a novel. There is an overarching story of God saving his people and making a way for Him to dwell with us, but there are different types of books in the Bible with different purposes. 

A great place to start reading the Bible is the book of John. This book tells the story of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. I love this book because studying it has really helped me get to know Jesus. Through reading it, I have been able to observe how Jesus treats people, how he asks questions, and how he spends time with God the Father. 

Any of the other Gospels – Matthew, Mark, and Luke – are also great places to start reading to learn about Jesus. 

If you have questions about what you read, you are welcome to reach out to me. I’m not claiming to be an expert on the Bible, but I am willing to learn with you! 

When I have questions about the Bible, I usually start by asking God to help me understand his word. God promises to give us wisdom and help us understand the Bible through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

I will also refer to a commentary on the Bible to help me understand the cultural context of what I am reading. My favorite free online commentary is Enduring Word (https://enduringword.com/#commentary). 

Reading the Bible is essential to getting to know God because it is his word that he gave us. It is the map he gave us to help us navigate our faith and lives. 

2. Praying

One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.

Luke 6:12

If Jesus spent a whole night praying, how much more time should we be praying? Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” So why should we pray continually? How is that even possible?

The verse says that God wants this for you. He wants you to be in constant and continual communication with himself. Obviously, as humans, we are not going to do this perfectly. Maybe you’re asking, how can I pray continually if I need to sleep and work and talk to people? 

I have found that praying continually does not mean constantly spewing my thoughts to God all day.

I think it means remaining in God throughout the day. Acknowledging his presence. Praising him as you move through work, rest, and play. Being open to hearing him speak. 

Praying helps us see God work in our lives because we see him answer our prayers. Of course, this doesn’t always happen right away. God is not the genie in Aladdin. Sometimes he gives us an answer that we don’t like, but Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” In summary, life can be difficult, but God is good and has a plan for you. 

Prayer allows us to communicate and spend time with God. This is essential for getting to know Him. I encourage you to start your day with talking to God and work toward praying more throughout your day. 

A kind of silly but very helpful habit that I have developed is praying when I go to the bathroom throughout the day. It is a time when I am alone and can have a moment to reground myself by acknowledging God’s presence and praising him. Laugh at me all you want, but hey, it could be helpful for you too!

So do what you’ve gotta do to talk to God more. It only makes sense that we need to have regular conversations with someone to get to know him better.

3. Serving

“Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 

-Jesus Christ (Matthew 20:26-28)

Jesus came to earth to serve God and people. He wants you to follow his example. This is a great way to get to know God because it allows us to understand his heart for caring for people. 

This happened in my life while I was in physician assistant school. My program required us to do “service learning” with different populations. The two serving opportunities that impacted me the most were at the Columbus Free Clinic and the Dream Center. The Columbus Free Clinic is a place that diagnoses and treats patients without any cost to them. The Dream Center provides meals, spiritual guidance, and other resources to the homeless population. Participating in what these organizations were doing softened my heart to these people groups who were struggling. 

It was beautiful to be able to give up just a few hours of my night to help people in need. Serving these people took my focus off of myself and my needs. It helped me understand the struggles of people around me. It gave me a glimpse of how God sees people. He knows we are broken and needy, and yet he cares for us so much.

4. Fasting

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

-Jesus Christ (Matthew 6:16-18)

Fasting may seem daunting if you haven’t done it before. It is a spiritual practice that is not discussed as often as others. That doesn’t mean it is less important. 

Fasting reminds us of our need for God. If you are fasting from food, the feeling of hunger can humble you, reminding you of your weakness as a human and to be grateful for the food and strength that God provides. At least that has been my experience. 

The Bible talks about fasting from food most often, but it also mentions choosing to fast from sex as a married couple when praying for something. So if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, a diabetic, or have some other medical condition that prohibits you from skipping meals, do not fret! You can fast from social media, from certain kinds of food that you enjoy, and anything else in which you indulge. 

If you don’t know where to start, you can try fasting once per week by skipping a meal. Please talk with your medical provider before you begin fasting to make sure you can do this safely.

Finally, prayer and fasting go hand-in-hand. The purpose of fasting is to grow closer to God, so talking with him and listening to him should be intertwined with one’s time of fasting. It is also good to meditate on Scripture during a fast. The goal is to fill yourself with the things of God rather than with things of the world. 

 “Jesus answered, ‘It is written: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”’” Matthew 4:4

So is getting to know God really that easy?

The answer is probably not. One reason that it is not easy is because the world doesn’t see the need to do this. People might think you’re crazy or weird for trying to get to know God. That is okay. Also, the more you learn about God, the more questions you will probably develop. That is also okay.

Additionally, it takes time, effort, and energy to get to know God. Because of our sinful nature, this does not always come “naturally” to us.

Learning about Jesus is so incredibly worth it. You don’t have to strive and struggle to get to know God on your own. Get involved in Christian community to help you grow and have people who support you doing so. No Christian community is perfect, but neither are we, right?  Go find a church and join a Bible study that encourages you to get to know God. Also, his Spirit is our Helper. He will guide you and help you understand the Bible as you read and give you strength if you ask him for it. Remember, God wants you to know him.